Ask Coach: How Do I Develop A True Leadership Team? Part 2

By Hardin Byars, executive coach with HTG Peer Groups

Q: How do I develop a true leadership team?

Coach: In our previous discussion on leadership teams, we examined how a diverse team enhances your ability to come up with innovative ideas or to solve complex problems. Just to recap, issues generally have three dimensions: tactical (task), relational (people) and systemic (big picture). Your brain tends to have a dominant “channel” among these three and solutions are easily colored by your dimensional bias, often at the expense of a superior solution. A diverse team, however, ensures that all dimensions of a problem are explored adequately.

While beneficial, diverse perspectives can also be a source of conflict. Whether the benefits of diversity override the challenges depends on your ability to create a team mindset … and that takes us back to your original question.

We loosely defined “team” as individuals united by a common purpose for which they are willing to make personal sacrifices. The first step in building a great leadership team is selecting the right people. You have to resist the inclination to select members of your team solely on function or tenure. High performance teams are built on people willing to define their success in terms of the team’s success.

Secondly, you have to cast a compelling vision. It is the higher calling of the vision that overcomes conflict in perspectives and unites the team. Your people may be inclined to invest selflessly but will only commit to do so if the purpose is worth their sacrifice. While it must be your vision, you will find it much easier for your team to “own” the vision if they participate in its creation.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, you have to lead with a servant’s mindset — people are not willing to invest more than you are personally investing. Or, as Jim Collins characterized it: speed of the leader, speed of the team.

Through careful selection of people who think “we” and “our,” casting a compelling vision, and leading by serving you will find your group of leaders becoming a team.

Hardin Byars is an executive coach with HTG Peer Groups where he is most energized by helping CEOs apply their God-given talent to achieve their potential and create business value.  He also advises senior executives on strategic planning and organizational development to drive sustainable growth. Prior to his affiliation with HTG, Hardin was CEO of Intellinet, a nationally managed Microsoft partner focused on maximizing the business value of corporate IT investments. You can reach him at hbyars@htgpeergroups.com